The Hon. Lieutenant Commander (Rtd.) Prageeth Madhuranga

¶ 01 Madam Deputy Chair, listening to the Opposition this morning, I wondered whether we governed the country all this time. They spoke of the Easter attacks, of Thajudeen’s murder. Did they not have time to conduct these inquiries? We have been in office just one year, and much has been done.

¶ 02 All morning they attacked Ravi Seneviratne, Shani Abeysekara, the IGP, the State Minister of Defence, and the Minister of Public Security. Perhaps they now realize things are moving correctly and those who did wrong are getting caught, so they shout. I also felt there was a drama scripted by the Pohottuwa, being played by the SJB. Though the Leader of the Opposition is absent, I urge him to advise his speakers to be disciplined, instead of acting out a drama scripted elsewhere. Whether his party listens is another matter, but at least he should try.

¶ 03 Today we debate the Budget Heads of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs. The Defence Ministry’s vision is “a safe and peaceful nation.” Its mission is to formulate and implement strategic plans and policies to ensure a secure, stable country with territorial integrity. This includes national and internal security, integrated intelligence, foreign military cooperation, support to international humanitarian missions, responsibility over explosives, firearms and prohibited weapons, chemical weapons concerns, lighthouse administration, hydrography, meteorology and climatology services, and disaster management including research and development. The Ministry comprises 25 institutions. For 2026, Rs. 455 billion is allocated. Sri Lanka has an EEZ about eight times our land area, and a Search and Rescue Region nearly 27 times the land area. To secure those areas and maintain Indian Ocean security and stability, we are strengthening the Navy’s surveillance and monitoring capacity, the Air Force’s surveillance capacity, and the Army’s surveillance capacity. For 2026, Rs. 91,710 million is allocated to the Navy, Rs. 229,464 million to the Army, and Rs. 74,169 million to the Air Force for national security and related tasks.

¶ 04 Some said this morning the forces have weakened. Yes, they were weakened—during your time—because the tri-forces were not allowed to work with mental focus. I request the State Minister of Defence to provide the Opposition with correct information, so they do not come here with wrong facts. To preserve the dignity of the armed forces, we now deploy them for national and urgent needs only—not to crack coconuts, chase dogs, build fences or clean drains as before.